There is a famous quote by Nazi War Criminal Herman Göring that pretty well sums up the whole “support our troops” tactic.
I believe he said it at the Nurmberg trials or sometime after the war at any rate. But the quote is this:
"The people can always be brought to the bidding of their leaders. All you have to do is tell them that they are in danger of being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. "
[RIGHT]—Hermann Göring[/RIGHT]
Governments going to war have been using this tactic in one form or another to cow their opponents for ages.
Even Hitler used an interesting version of it. It worked kind of like this. When people would ask him about all the civilians being killed by the Nazis, he would say that he was daily obliged to send fine, young Aryan boys to fight and die for the Fatherland. And you want to start crying over a bunch of parasitic, worthless Jews, gypsies, Poles, mentally disabled, homosexuals, etc.? Do you seriously believe that their lives ar worth more than the lives of our fine, German boys?
Now of course, there is an obvious disconnect in logic here. But most people do not see it.
Right now, in Canada, we have a “Support our Troops” movement with ribbons and everything. What they are “supporting” is the Canadian troops fighting and dying in Afghanistan. Canada did not, thank goodness, send troops to Iraq, although the Conservatives, who are now in power, wanted to do so when the US invited us. And the Conservatives are using the same “Support our Troops” bullshit on Canadians.
I support our Canadian troops 100%! I understand they are well paid compared to most troops and I say, HOORAY! I do not begrudge them a cent of it. Spare no expense for their medical care, their amenities, food, education, whatever. I love all of them, and appreciate their devotion.
But don’t tell me that the minute my war-happy government decides to send troops abroad, I must support that war or I am an unpatriotic scoundrel. That is nothing but emotional blackmail.
And don’t tell me that our troops WANT to stay in Afghanistan and finish the “job” whatever that means. Because if that is true, that is the one case in which I do not “support our troops”. In a democracy, the troops do not choose which wars they support and do not support, or which wars our country will or will not participate in.
